System and method for conditioning paint-roller cover fabric

ABSTRACT

A system and method are provided for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a continuous paint roller manufacturing process. The system and method provide an inline fabric conditioning unit upstream of the point in the process that the paint roller fabric cover strip is wrapped about the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric conditioning unit including a fabric conditioning device that conditions the paint roller fabric cover strip as it is being fed towards the outer side of the outer strip. The fabric conditioning unit may be used to perforate the fabric, to remove loose fibers from the fabric side of the paint roller fabric cover, to buff the paint roller fabric, and to orient the paint roller cover fibers. The continuous paint roller manufacturing process includes steps of feeding an inner strip and an outer strip towards a mandrel, wrapping the inner strip and the outer strip about the mandrel in offset relation, applying a strip adhesive to at least a portion of an outer side of the inner strip and at least a portion of an outer side of the outer strip, feeding a paint roller fabric cover strip having a fabric side and a backing side towards the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric side comprising loose fibers and attached fibers, forming a paint roller tube by wrapping the paint roller fabric cover strip about the outer strip at a point in the process after the strip adhesive has been applied to the outer side of the outer strip such that the backing side contacts the strip adhesive, applying compression to the paint roller tube, and cutting the paint roller tubes into like lengths.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/261,227 filed Jan. 29, 2019; this application is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/103,550filed Aug. 14, 2018, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/968,476 filed May 1, 2018, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/676,507 filed Aug.14, 2017, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD

The present invention relates in general to the field of paint rollermanufacturing, and in particular to a novel machine and process forusing a conditioning fabric in a process for manufacturing paintrollers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description of preferred embodiments as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which reference characters refer to the sameparts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily toscale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of theinvention.

FIG. 1 shows a top view illustrating a machine and process formanufacturing paint rollers in accordance with an embodiment wherein afabric conditioning process is utilized in a two-strip process paintroller manufacturing process.

FIG. 2 shows a side view illustrating a fabric conditioning unitutilized in the machine and process shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic view illustrating a machine and process forperforming inline shearing in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic view illustrating a machine and process forperforming inline beveling in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic view illustrating a machine and process forperforming inline buffing in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 6 shows a top view illustrating a machine and process formanufacturing paint rollers in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention wherein a fabric conditioning process is utilized in asingle-strip paint roller manufacturing process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. The following description and drawings are illustrative andare not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details aredescribed to provide a thorough understanding. However, in certaininstances, well-known or conventional details are not described in orderto avoid obscuring the description. References to one or an embodimentin the present disclosure are not necessarily references to the sameembodiment; and, such references mean at least one.

The quality and condition of the fabric on the outer surface of a paintroller core is important to an end-user's perception of quality, as wellas paint application performance. The quality of the paint roller fabricis controlled by both manufacturers of paint roller fabric andmanufacturers of paint rollers. Certain factors determine paint rollerfabric quality, including fiber density, the quality of the fabricbacking, and the materials used to make the fibers are controlled byfabric manufacturers.

A significant issue with lower-quality paint roller fabrics is theirtendency to have loose fibers that can become dislodged during thepainting process. These fibers can become embedded in the paint, causingundesirable side-effects.

Furthermore, for aesthetic and performance reasons, paint rollermanufacturers try to ensure that all paint roller fabric fibers are thesame length from the core, and that paint roller fibers are generallyperpendicularly oriented with respect to the core (i.e., normal to thecore surface). This creates a uniform appearance.

The fabric on the edges of paint rollers are typically beveled at anangle for aesthetic and performance reasons. Beveling each side of aroller core's fabric prevents paint from being applied outside of thelength of the roller core.

Disclosed herein are machines and methods for continuous paint rollermanufacturing processes which include a step of conditioning paintroller cover fabric inline with the manufacturing process. In anembodiment, the inline fabric conditioning process removes loose fibersand positions the remaining fibers so that they are normal with respectto the fabric backing and/or core of the paint roller. In an embodiment,a comb or carding cloth is run through paint roller fabric as the paintroller fabric advancing towards a roller core as a part of the paintroller manufacturing process, but prior to the time it is applied to thecore. In an embodiment, a comb or carding cloth is run through paintroller fabric after it is applied to the core, but prior to the timethat a continuously manufactured core is separated into lengths or paintrollers. The machines and methods described herein may be configured touse a fabric cover that has been conditioned inline upstream of thestrip winding step in a paint roller manufacturing process, and/or canbe configured to condition the fabric inline with the paint rollermanufacturing process after the strip winding step (e.g., at the paintroller tube cutting step).

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a paint roller manufacturing system 101and process for manufacturing paint rollers in accordance with anembodiment are illustrated. The paint roller manufacturing system 101includes a cover dispenser 122 that continuously dispenses a windablewidth of paint roller cover fabric, the paint roller cover fabric havinga fabric backing side. A fabric conditioning unit 124 is provided, andmay include a perforating wheel 140, a conditioning device 113, andfabric guides to support the fabric and maintain a width-wise dimensionof the paint roller cover fabric as the fabric advances across thefabric conditioning unit. In an embodiment, the fabric may be fed fromthe cover dispenser 122 by motors located outside the machine, or motorswithin the machine itself. In an embodiment, the fabric from the coverdispenser 122 is drawn towards the downstream process. In an embodiment,the fabric from the cover dispenser 122 is drawn towards the downstreamprocess as a consequence of a winding belt 129. In an embodiment, thefabric from the cover dispenser is drawn towards the downstreamprocesses by a fabric conditioning unit 124.

The paint roller cover fabric 123 may comprise a conventional coverfabric or a coated fabric that has been coated offline or online, as istaught in U.S. Pat. No. 9,956,719 which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety and shares a common inventor herewith.

In an embodiment, cover fabric 123 fed from the cover dispenser 122 tothe fabric conditioning unit 124 is pressed against a perforating roller140. The perforating roller 140 may have cone-shaped protrusions, orprotrusions of other shapes. In an embodiment, the protrusions from theperforating roller 140 end in sharp points. In an embodiment, anotherwheel, or a plate, or another apparatus 141 pushes the fabric againstthe perforating wheel. In an embodiment, the force in the direction ofthe perforating roller 140 made by apparatus 141 may increase the sizeof the perforation or otherwise increase perforation performance. Theapparatus 141 that pushes the fabric against the wheel 140 can bevertically adjusted in order to accommodate fabric of different pileheights. In an embodiment, the perforation roller 140 comprises aplurality of spaced perforators, which may comprise perforating pins,that can perforate the fabric and thus create spaces (e.g., pores)through which adhesive may flow. In an embodiment, the perforators aresharp at a distal end (away from the perforation roller) and areconfigured so that they can extend through the backing layer of thefabric. Methods and devices for perforating cover fabrics are taught,for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/103,550 filed Aug.14, 2018, which shares a common inventor herewith and is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety. Paint roller fabric can either beperforated in the paint roller manufacturing process, or at any timeprior to the fabric being wound around the mandrel, such as when thefabric is manufactured. In an embodiment, perforating paint rollerfabric may provide for greater adhesion and/or a reduction in shedding(i.e., the amount of fibers that are dislodged during the paint rollermanufacturing process or the process of using a finished paint roller).

In an embodiment, cover fabric 123 fed from the cover dispenser 122 tothe fabric conditioning unit 124 is processed by the conditioning device113. In an embodiment, pre-perforated cover fabric 123 fed from thecover dispenser 122 to the fabric conditioning unit 124 is processed bythe conditioning device 113. In an embodiment, the fabric conditioningunit 124 comprises both a perforating roller 140 and a conditioningdevice, and after being perforated by the perforating roller 140, thefabric is processed by the conditioning device 113. In an embodiment,the conditioning device 113 removes lint and loose fibers, and properlyorients the fabric in an upright position normal to the roller core andbacking of the fabric. In an embodiment, the conditioning device 113 inthe fabric conditioning unit 124 comprises a carding cloth having aplurality of needles 112 that contact the paint roller cover fabric. Inan embodiment, a conveyor 114 is provided for conveying the cardingcloth past the paint roller cover fabric. It should be noted that theconditioning device 113 is shown in phantom in the top view of FIG. 1because the conditioning device 113 is positioned on the pile side ofthe paint roller cover fabric 123. (Note that the orientation of theembodiment shown in FIG. 1 shows the paint roller fabric with the pileside down and the non-pile side up, however, in an embodiment, the paintroller fabric can be fed towards the mandrel at any orientation, e.g.,with the non-pile and pile side being, left-right, right-left ordown-up, or in between.) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the conditioningdevice 113 in the fabric conditioning unit 124.

In an embodiment, needles 112 of the conditioning device 113 may be,e.g., straight, oriented at an angle, or straight with an angled tip. Inan embodiment, the carding cloth is positioned directly opposite thepaint roller fabric, and may travel in the same direction in which thefabric moves, travel in a direction opposite to the direction in whichthe fabric moves, or remain stationary. In an embodiment, changing thedirection of motion of the carding cloth relative to the motion of thefabric can result in varied types of conditioning. In an embodiment,carding cloth travel direction will vary with the fabric used, asdifferent carding cloth travel directions may produce more desirableresults than others on a specific fabric pile. In an embodiment, thecarding cloth remains in contact with the fabric over a certaindistance, for example between 5 to 12 inches, in order to provide a morethorough fabric conditioning than buffing, the latter of which onlyprovides temporary contact against the paint roller fabric.

In an embodiment, a vacuum is used to remove loose fibers directly offof the fabric, and/or to remove debris caused by the fabric conditioningprocess.

A significant advantage to conditioning of the paint roller fabric, inline, before it is applied to the paint roller core is that this inlinemanufacturing step eliminates the need to perform the steps involved infabric conditioning later after the paint roller core/tube has beenmanufactured, and after the paint rollers have been separated from thecontinuously produced core. This can save time, money, and labor byeliminating a step from the paint roller finishing process that oftentakes place after the roller core/tube has been manufactured.

In an embodiment, conditioning device 113 in the fabric conditioningunit 124 comprises a comb.

In an embodiment, a roller 126 is positioned downstream of the fabricconditioning unit 124 and configured to retain the bottom surface (i.e.,non-pile side) of the fabric on the top surface of the fabricconditioning unit 124. In an embodiment, roller 126 is part of thefabric conditioning unit 124 and configured to retain the bottom surface(i.e., non-pile side) of the fabric in an operable position and tensionfor the proper operation of the fabric conditioning unit 124.

A mandrel 121 is provided, and may be cooled by a mandrel cooler 133 soas to facilitate movement of strips around the mandrel in a helicalmanner without adhesion of the strips to the mandrel and with lowerresistance.

First and second strip dispensers 116, 118 are configured tocontinuously dispense first and second windable widths of strip material117, 119. A guide system (not shown) may be used to guide the first andsecond strip coming from the first and second strip dispensers such thatit is wound about the mandrel and to guide a paint roller cover fabricto be wound about the first and second strips 117, 119. In anembodiment, the paint roller fabric cover may be coated. In anembodiment, the paint roller fabric cover may be perforated. In anembodiment, the paint roller fabric cover may be coated and perforated.The second strip 119 and/or the first strip 117 may be a solid strip, aperforated strip or an embossed strip (e.g., having recessed dimples orother recessed features).

In an embodiment, an applicator 115 is configured to apply adhesive(which may be glue, a polymer, or a compound polymer with or without afiller material) on substantially all of the outer side of the first andsecond windable strips 117, 119 upstream of a location where theconventional or coated paint roller cover fabric 125 is wound about thefirst and second strips. In an embodiment, the adhesive is in a moltenstate or a liquified state when applied. In an embodiment, the adhesiveis molten or liquified polypropylene. In an embodiment, the adhesive isa molten or liquified compound which includes polypropylene. In anembodiment, the adhesive is a molten or liquified compound whichincludes polypropylene and calcium carbonate.

In an embodiment, a compressing and advancing device 129 is provided forapplying inward pressure normal to the mandrel on a conventional orcoated paint roller fabric cover 125 after it is wound about the firstand second strips 117, 119, and for advancing the first and secondwindable strips and the paint roller fabric cover along the mandrel 121.As discussed above, the paint roller fabric cover may be conventional,coated, perforated, or coated and perforated.

In an embodiment, the machine includes an extruder 103, which may beconfigured for extrusion of an adhesive material through a die 105. Inan embodiment, the material is molten when it is extruded through thedie 105 and the molten material is pushed through hose 111 to thestrip-coating adhesive applicator 115. The strip-coating applicator 115may comprise any device for applying a molten or liquefied adhesive to afabric, including a die head, sprayer, brush, extruder, or the like.

The inner strip 117 and outer strip 119 of material are helically woundabout the mandrel 121 in offset relation. In an embodiment, the offsetrelation is approximately 50%, that is, the center of one strip wraps ata location under or over (as the case may be) the middle of the otherstrip. In an embodiment, the offset relation is at least 5% to preventthe seams of the inner strip and the outer strip from aligning. A 5%offset relation refers to having the seam at least 5% of the width ofthe strip away from the edge of the strip. In an embodiment, the entireinner surface of the inner strip 117 contacts the mandrel 121. In anembodiment, no portion of the outer strip 119 contacts the mandrel 121.

In an embodiment, the inner strip 117 and the outer strip 119 comprise amaterial that, for a given roller length, will result in repeatableshrinkage due to hardening and setting. In an embodiment, the innerstrip 117 and the outer strip 119 comprise a material that, for a givenroller length, will result in repeatable shrinkage due to hardening andsetting, within a manufacturing tolerance.

In an embodiment, the outer surface of the inner strip 117 and the outersurface of the outer strip 119 are coated with adhesive by thestrip-coating applicator 115. In an embodiment (not shown), thestrip-coating applicator 115 comprises two separate strip-coatingapplicators, one to coat each of the two strips 117, 119. Thus, suchcoating of the outside of each of the two strips may be performed by thesame applicator or, in another embodiment, by two separate applicators.As shown in FIG. 1, coating of the strip or strips is performed by asingle applicator. In an embodiment, only the outer surface of the innerstrip 117 is coated with adhesive by the strip-coating applicator 115.In an embodiment, the strip-coating applicator 115 applies adhesive toeither the outer surface of the inner strip or the inner surface of theouter strip such that the adhesive ends out between the inner and outerstrips after it is applied. In an embodiment, the strip-coatingapplicator 115 applies adhesive to either the outer surface of the innerstrip or the inner surface of the outer strip such that the adhesiveends up between the inner and outer strips after it is applied, andliquid adhesive applied by an optional fabric coating applicator is notset when the outer strip 119 and the fabric cover 125 come together onthe mandrel. In an embodiment, the strip-coating applicator 115 appliesadhesive to either the outer surface of the outer strip or the innersurface of the fabric cover 125 such that the adhesive ends up betweenthe outer strip and fabric after it is applied. In an embodiment, aportion of the outer surface (rather than the entire outer surface) ofthe outer strip 119 (or the only strip in a single-strip embodiment) iscoated with adhesive. In an embodiment, the entire outer surface of theouter strip 119 is coated with adhesive. The strip-coating applicator115, in each case, may be configured to apply a contiguous ornon-contiguous coat of material to the strip. Examples of anon-contiguous coat include, without limitation, a mesh of material, orstripes of coating material. In addition, the strip-coating applicationmay be configured to apply additional material, such as a mesh materialin addition to a coating material. In an embodiment, a mesh material anda contiguous coat of material are applied by the strip coatingapplicator 115. In an embodiment, the mesh material is a resin. In anembodiment, the mesh material is an adhesive mesh. In an embodiment, themesh material can be wound around the mandrel as the outer strip ofmaterial 119 can. In an embodiment, the mesh material replaces the outerstrip 119. In an embodiment, only a portion of the outer surface of theinner strip 117 is coated with adhesive. In an embodiment, the entireouter surface of the inner strip 117 is coated with adhesive.

In an embodiment, the strips and/or adhesive are made from or comprisepolypropylene. In an embodiment, the strips and/or adhesive comprise acompound of polypropylene and a filler. In an embodiment, the fillercomprises calcium carbonate. A variety of formulations for strips and/oradhesive may be found, e.g., in Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/789,723 filed Jul. 1, 2015 and the references cited therein, theentire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. It isnot necessary to use strips of identical materials. It is similarly notnecessary to employ an adhesive of similar materials to one or both ofthe strips.

In an embodiment, the material used for both or either of the strips maycomprise, for example: (1) commonly-available polypropylene; (2) a blendof polypropylene, with an effective Melt Flow Rate (MFR) of 2-20 g/10min.; (3) a combination of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and polypropylene,with CaCO3 ranges used from 10-70% CaCO3; or (4) a combination ofcalcium carbonate (CaCO3) and a blend of polypropylenes, with CaCO3ranges used from 10-70% CaCO3.

In an embodiment, the material used for the adhesive may comprise, forexample: (1) commonly-available polypropylene; (2) a blend ofpolypropylenes, with an effective Melt Flow Rate (MFR) of 20-180 g/10min.; (3) a combination of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and polypropylene,with CaCO3 ranges used from 10-70% CaCO3; or (4) a combination ofcalcium carbonate and blend of polypropylenes (one or more of which hasa high MFR ranging from 700-1400 g/10 min), with CaCO3 ranges from10-70% CaCO3 by weight, for an effective total MFR of 20-180 g/10 min.In an embodiment, the adhesive comprises a combination of calciumcarbonate and blend of polypropylenes, the combination having aneffective MFR within the range of 20-180 g/10 min. In an embodiment, theadhesive comprises a combination of calcium carbonate and blend ofpolypropylenes, the combination having an effective MFR within the rangeof 80-170 g/10 min. In an embodiment, the adhesive comprises acombination of calcium carbonate and blend of polypropylenes, thecombination having an effective MFR within the range of 160-175 g/10min.

Once the component parts (e.g., strips, adhesive, cover) are wound aboutthe mandrel 121, the in-process paint roller cover material tube 127 maybe driven by a motorized compressing and advancing device. In anembodiment, the in-process paint roller cover material tube 127 isdriven by a compressing and advancing device comprising a belt 129driven by one or more motorized rollers. Operation of the motorizedroller may be controlled by a process controller in one-way or two-waycommunication with the motorized roller(s).

The formed paint roller cover material tube 127 is advanced along themandrel 121 by the belt 129 to a cutting device 131 that cuts the tubeinto lengths. The cutting device 131 may be, e.g., a rotary cutter, aflyaway saw, a traveling saw, a stationary cutter, or other suitablecutter, drill, or chopper. In an embodiment, the cutting device is underthe control of the process controller.

Spinning has been used previously to remove excess fibers from a formedpaint roller tube/core. Spinning is usually done after the paint rollercore/tube has been formed, by placing the product on a mandrel andspinning it at high speed. In an embodiment, a paint roller fabricconditioning unit 124 comprises a fabric spinner (not shown) and anaccumulator (not shown). In an embodiment, a paint roller fabricconditioning unit 124 comprises a perforation wheel 140 and a fabricspinner. In an embodiment, a paint roller fabric conditioning unit 124comprises a perforation wheel 140, a fabric spinner and an accumulator.In an embodiment, a paint roller fabric conditioning unit 124 comprisesa perforation wheel 140, a first accumulator, a fabric spinner and asecond accumulator. In an embodiment, cover fabric 123 is fed from thecover dispenser 122 to the fabric conditioning unit 124, and as part ofthe fabric conditioning the fabric cover 123 is spun at high speed,e.g., to remove lint. In an embodiment, the fabric 123 is spun at a muchfaster rate than the manufacturing processing can receive, and thus, abuffering device is used. In an embodiment, fabric is rapidly spun forconditioning and deposited into an accumulator. The spinning processthen temporarily pauses until the manufacturing line catches up with theaccumulated conditioned fabric. In an embodiment, the fabric is spun ata much faster rate than the manufacturing process can receive, and thenspun in reverse, and then forward again, allowing the forward spinningto outpace the reverse spinning by the overall speed of themanufacturing line. The forward-reverse-forward process may employ twoaccumulators (one on each side of the spinning process) to buffer theinput and output, then deposited into an accumulator. In an embodiment,the paint roller fabric cover 123 may be spun forwards and backwards athigh speed, and thus may require an accumulator on each side of thespinning system. In an embodiment, paint roller cover fabric 123 is spunaround a mandrel such that the paint roller cover fabric is spun at aspeed exceeding 1800 RPM so as to remove excess fibers from the paintroller cover fabric. After conditioning, the conditioned fabric is thenpassed to the remainder of the paint roller manufacturing process fromthe accumulator.

FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic view illustrating a machine and process forperforming inline shearing in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Shearing (also known as “face shearing”) ensures that allfibers on a section of fabric are the same height, for aesthetic andperformance reasons. This can be done either before or after paintroller fabric is applied to a core/tube. Fibers are cut to a uniformheight by a cutting apparatus. In an embodiment, rotary blades are used.In an embodiment, the rotary blades are oriented parallel to thedirection of travel of the fabric on the paint roller core/tube. In anembodiment, the rotary blades are oriented in any other direction thatresults in an even reduction in paint roller core/tube fabric height. Inan embodiment, any suitable cutting device may be employed to performinline shearing. The benefits of performing this action as a part of acontinuous single manufacturing process are the same as those ofcarding/combing fabric inline. In an embodiment, shearing is performedafter inline fabric conditioning. In an embodiment, shearing isperformed after buffing/sweeping. In an embodiment, shearing isperformed when the fibers are generally oriented normal to the rollercore, and thus at their maximum height with respect to the roller core.

FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic view illustrating a machine and process forperforming inline beveling in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Beveling creates angled edges on each edge of a paint roller.If using a paint roller manufacturing process that cuts rollers to finallengths inline, as opposed to producing tubes that are later cut tofinal lengths, this can be accomplished inline. In an embodiment,beveling is accomplished by using a set of spinning blades set at anglesopposing each other on either side of a cutoff saw. In an embodiment,the blades are applied to the trailing edge of one roller and theleading edge of the next, as the two rollers are separated. In anembodiment, beveling is accomplished by a beveling blade (e.g., a singlespinning blade) that is deployed prior to the cutoff saw, but at thesame location along the continually manufactured paint roller product.In an embodiment, beveling is accomplished by a beveling blade (e.g., asingle spinning blade) that is deployed in lieu of a cutoff saw. Acutoff saw then separates the paint roller at the apex of the bevelingblade's cut. In an embodiment, the beveling blade comprises a lessangled or straight portion (in cross section) that can cut through theroller core, and an angled portion that can bevel the fabric edge. In anembodiment, the beveling blade or blades move with the continuouslymanufactured paint roller product as the cut is being made. In anembodiment, both the cutoff saw and the beveling blade or blades movewith the continuously manufactured paint roller product as the cuts arebeing made.

If the paint roller manufacturing process produces larger tubes asopposed to rollers cut to final lengths, beveling is typically performedafter paint rollers have been cut, using an apparatus that bevels bothsides of the roller simultaneously. The benefits to beveling inline arethe same as performing other finishing processes inline. The term “finallengths” refers to lengths of paint rollers that are commonly purchasedby end users, or that manufacturers ship to their customers.

FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic view illustrating a machine and process forperforming inline buffing in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Buffing/sweeping operations use a wheel covered in cardingcloth to remove loose fibers and properly orient the fibers that remainon the roller core. This previously was performed after the paintroller/tube has been manufactured. In an embodiment, a wheel, which maybe the length of the entire roller/tube or just a portion of it, brieflyspins against the roller/tube. In an embodiment, buffing may beperformed in a dedicated operation as part of a larger paint rollerfinishing indexing operation or may be performed in between paint rollerfinishing operations. When performed in between other paint rollerfinishing operations, this procedure is called “sweeping”.

FIG. 6 shows single-strip embodiments 601 of the two-strip machine andprocess shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. These embodiments generally operate asper the descriptions of FIGS. 1 and 2 above, except that a single strip117 is used instead of the dual strips 117 and 119.

Benefits of using methods inline as opposed to afterwards as part of afinishing process include the following. Firstly, fewer finishingprocess steps can be used, and this results in an overall processthroughput increase. Secondly, the inline methods described hereinprovide additional opportunities to manipulate fabric in themanufacturing process to further increase fabric quality. Thirdly, theinline methods described herein provide the ability to use less costlypaint roller fabrics to make higher-quality rollers, due to the increasein final paint roller fabric quality that inline methods make possible.

Reference in this specification to “an embodiment” or “the embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least an embodimentof the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment” invarious places in the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodimentsmutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features aredescribed which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others.Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirementsfor some embodiments but not other embodiments.

As used herein, and especially within the claims, ordinal terms such asfirst and second are not intended, in and of themselves, to implysequence, time or uniqueness, but rather are used to distinguish oneclaimed construct from another. In some uses where the context dictates,these terms may imply that the first and second are unique. For example,where an event occurs at a first time, and another event occurs at asecond time, there is no intended implication that the first time occursbefore the second time. However, where the further limitation that thesecond time is after the first time is presented in the claim, thecontext would require reading the first time and the second time to beunique times. Similarly, where the context so dictates or permits,ordinal terms are intended to be broadly construed so that the twoidentified claim constructs can be of the same characteristic or ofdifferent characteristic.

The above embodiments and preferences are illustrative of the presentinvention. It is neither necessary, nor intended for this patent tooutline or define every possible combination or embodiment. The inventorhas disclosed sufficient information to permit one skilled in the art topractice at least one embodiment of the invention. The above descriptionand drawings are merely illustrative of the present invention and thatchanges in components, structure and procedure are possible withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention as defined in thefollowing claims. For example, elements and/or steps described aboveand/or in the following claims in a particular order may be practiced ina different order without departing from the invention. Thus, while theinvention has been particularly shown and described with reference toembodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat various changes in form and details may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for conditioning paint roller coverfabric inline in a continuous paint roller manufacturing process, thecontinuous paint roller manufacturing process comprising feeding aninner strip and an outer strip towards a mandrel, wrapping the innerstrip and the outer strip about the mandrel in offset relation, applyinga strip adhesive to at least a portion of an outer side of the innerstrip and at least a portion of an outer side of the outer strip,feeding a paint roller fabric cover strip having a fabric side and abacking side towards the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric sidecomprising loose fibers and attached fibers, forming a paint roller tubeby wrapping the paint roller fabric cover strip about the outer strip ata point in the process after the strip adhesive has been applied to theouter side of the outer strip such that the backing side contacts thestrip adhesive, applying compression to the paint roller tube, andcutting the paint roller tubes into like lengths, the method comprising:providing a fabric conditioning unit upstream of the point in theprocess that the paint roller fabric cover strip is wrapped about theouter side of the outer strip, the fabric conditioning unit including afabric conditioning device that conditions the paint roller fabric coverstrip as it is being fed towards the outer side of the outer strip byremoving loose fibers from the fabric side of the paint roller fabriccover and by generally orienting the attached fibers.
 2. The method forconditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paint rollermanufacturing process according to claim 1, wherein the conditioningdevice comprises a carding cloth having a plurality of needles.
 3. Themethod for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paintroller manufacturing process according to claim 2, wherein theconditioning device comprises a conveyor for conveying the carding clothpast the paint roller cover fabric.
 4. The method for conditioning paintroller cover fabric inline in a paint roller manufacturing processaccording to claim 3, wherein the conveyor is configured to move in adirection in which the paint roller cover fabric is being fed.
 5. Themethod for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paintroller manufacturing process according to claim 3, wherein the conveyoris configured to move in a direction that is opposite to a direction inwhich the paint roller cover fabric is being fed.
 6. The method forconditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paint rollermanufacturing process according to claim 2, wherein the conditioningdevice comprises a stationary carding cloth retaining device forretaining the carding cloth as the paint roller cover fabric movestherepast.
 7. The method for conditioning paint roller cover fabricinline in a paint roller manufacturing process according to claim 2,wherein the needles of the carding cloth are oriented normal withrespect to a plane of the carding cloth.
 8. The method for conditioningpaint roller cover fabric inline in a paint roller manufacturing processaccording to claim 7, wherein the needles of the carding cloth haveangled tips.
 9. The method for conditioning paint roller cover fabricinline in a paint roller manufacturing process according to claim 2,wherein the needles of the carding cloth are oriented at an angle otherthan ninety degrees with respect to a plane of the carding cloth. 10.The method for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paintroller manufacturing process according to claim 3, further comprisingchanging a direction in which the conveyor moves prior to feeding thepaint roller cover fabric so as to apply an alternate type ofconditioning to the paint roller cover fabric.
 11. The method forconditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paint rollermanufacturing process according to claim 1, wherein the conditioningdevice comprises a comb.
 12. The method for conditioning paint rollercover fabric inline in a paint roller manufacturing process according toclaim 2, wherein the carding cloth remains in contact with the paintroller cover fabric for a length of between 5 to 12 inches of travel ofthe paint roller cover fabric at the conditioning unit.
 13. The methodfor conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paint rollermanufacturing process according to claim 1, further comprising using avacuum to remove loose fibers or debris caused by fabric conditioning inthe fabric conditioning unit.
 14. The method for conditioning paintroller cover fabric inline in a paint roller manufacturing processaccording to claim 1, further comprising winding paint roller coverfabric around a second mandrel such that the paint roller cover fabricis spun at a speed exceeding 1800 RPM so as to remove excess fibers fromthe paint roller cover fabric.
 15. The method for conditioning paintroller cover fabric inline in a paint roller manufacturing processaccording to claim 1, further comprising shearing the conditioned paintroller cover fabric so as to cause fibers of the paint roller coverfabric to extend from the backing to a more uniform height.
 16. Themethod for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paintroller manufacturing process according to claim 1, further comprisingusing a plurality of spinning blades set at angles opposing each otherto bevel a trailing edge of the paint roller tube as it is cut.
 17. Themethod for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paintroller manufacturing process according to claim 2, wherein theconditioning station uses a wheel covered in the carding cloth tocontact the paint roller cover fabric so as to remove loose fibers andto orient fibers that remain on the roller core.
 18. The method forconditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paint rollermanufacturing process according to claim 17, wherein the wheel has alength that is at least equal to a length of the paint roller tube. 19.The method for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a paintroller manufacturing process according to claim 17, wherein the wheelhas a length that is equal to a length of a portion of the paint rollertube.
 20. A method for conditioning paint roller cover fabric in a paintroller manufacturing process, comprising: winding a length of paintroller cover fabric around a first mandrel such that the paint rollercover fabric is spun at a speed exceeding 1800 RPM so as to removeexcess fibers from the paint roller cover fabric; feeding spun paintroller cover fabric from the first mandrel; feeding the spun paintroller cover fabric into an accumulator; winding an inner strip and anouter strip about a second mandrel in offset relation; using astrip-coating applicator to apply a strip adhesive to at least a portionof the outer strip as it is wound about the second mandrel;simultaneously with the step of applying the strip adhesive to the outerstrip, receiving a portion of the spun paint roller cover fabric at theouter strip and winding the portion of spun paint roller fabric materialabout at least the outer strip to form a paint roller tube; applyingcompression to the paint roller tube; and, cutting the paint roller tubeinto like lengths.
 21. A method for conditioning paint roller coverfabric inline in a single-strip continuous paint roller manufacturingprocess, the single-strip continuous paint roller manufacturing processcomprising feeding a single strip towards a mandrel, wrapping the singlestrip about the mandrel so that individual adjacent winds are in offsetrelation, applying a strip adhesive to at least a portion of an outerside of the single strip, feeding a paint roller fabric cover striphaving a fabric side and a backing side towards the outer side of thesingle strip, the fabric side comprising loose fibers and attachedfibers, forming a paint roller tube by wrapping the paint roller fabriccover strip about the single strip at a point in the process after thestrip adhesive has been applied to the outer side of the single stripsuch that the backing side contacts the strip adhesive, applyingcompression to the paint roller tube, and cutting the paint roller tubesinto like lengths, the method comprising: providing a fabricconditioning unit upstream of the point in the process that the paintroller fabric cover strip is wrapped about the outer side of the outerstrip, the fabric conditioning unit including a fabric conditioningdevice that conditions the paint roller fabric cover strip as it isbeing fed towards the outer side of the outer strip by removing loosefibers from the fabric side of the paint roller fabric cover and bygenerally orienting the attached fibers.